KUWAIT COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING NEW WAY FORWARD ON

S E C R E T KUWAIT 000638 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR PM/RSAT, NEA/I AND NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2022 TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ KU KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS SUBJECT: KUWAIT COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING NEW WAY FORWARD ON IRAQ REF: A. STATE 54925 ¶B. KUWAIT 500 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S/NF) During recent meetings with U.S. officials, Kuwait's senior leadership reaffirmed their continued commitment to supporting coalition efforts in Iraq. The Amir, Prime Minister, Defense/Interior Minister, Foreign Minister, and Kuwaiti Armed Forces Chief of Staff told CENTCOM Commander William Fallon April 3 that Kuwait will remain a strong supporter of coalition efforts in Iraq and the U.S. presence in the region (ref B). The Prime Minister and Foreign Minister conveyed a similar message to Iraq Coordinator David Satterfield during meetings April 24 and ¶25. Kuwait is close to completing a new transit agreement with NATO that will support the important NATO training mission in Iraq. ¶2. (S/NF) Kuwait is one of our closest allies in the region and has provided tremendous support for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Kuwait provided over $2 billion in free fuel for U.S. and coalition use in OIF from December 2002 - December 2004 and continues to provide fuel at a concessionary price, saving the U.S. taxpayers millions of dollars a year. The Kuwaiti government also provides more than 18,000 meals a day for U.S. military personnel stationed in the country. The total annual value of Kuwaiti support to OIF is estimated at between one and two billion USD, including intangible financial benefits of the 1991 Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) that have been extended to OIF. These benefits include waived port fees for coalition vessels, waived ground support fees for military aircraft, no costs for approximately 9000 acres of land, convoy escorts and security, and customs waivers for imports and exports. Kuwait was also one of the first countries to publicly express support for the Iraqi government and has provided substantial assistance to Iraqi reconstruction efforts. ¶3. (S/NF) While we expect Kuwait's robust support for OIF to continue on all levels, Kuwait does not have the capacity to contribute troops or equipment directly to coalition efforts inside Iraq. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * LeBaron